Long and Farry pay tribute to Ford

October 5, 2016 2:44 PM

Naomi Long MLA and Stephen Farry MLA have paid tribute to Party Leader David Ford MLA, as he announced he will step down from the role on Thursday.

"David Ford has served Alliance in a number of important roles over the years - as a Councillor, Assembly Member, negotiator, Justice Minister, General Secretary and Chief Whip. However, his leadership over the last 15 years has transformed the party and made a huge contribution to peace and stability in Northern Ireland," said Mrs Long.

"As a party, he has steered us through some challenging times and, despite those challenges, delivered some of our best electoral results. He is stepping down from leadership having developed a strong, vibrant and growing organisation.

"It has been a pleasure to serve as his Deputy Leader for the last 10 years and to work closely with him to shape and modernise the party. I want to thank David, Anne and their family for the sacrifices they have made over those years, for which all of us in Alliance are hugely indebted."

Her colleague Mr Farry said it has been "a privilege" working with Mr Ford for over 20 years.

"In particular, I was impressed by his dedication and professionalism as Minister for Justice. In addition to being the most successful Alliance Leader to date, he leaves a powerful legacy in having successfully overseen the devolution of policing and justice.

"I know David's passion for South Antrim, for Alliance and for building a united community are undiminished, and he will continue to pursue those actively as a constituency MLA and an effective member of our Assembly team."

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